Today we move on to the final segment of this program, but it is perhaps the most important.
For the next several days we will be exploring socialization and relationships, which is probably the #1 factor in most peoples’ happiness.
I have a simple exercise for you today. Simple, but quite challenging.
You must stop upholding our own importance in the eyes of others. We do this all the time without even realizing it, and it is an awful, insidious habit.
Think about your day thus far. Have you belittled anyone else? Did you get into an argument with someone? Did you get defensive? Did you brag? Did you complain?
All these behaviors are instances of your ego coming to the fore and trying to make yourself seem important.
It’s stupid. It’s counterproductive. It makes you seem like a jerk. It makes you seem insecure. Stop! Stop, stop, stop!
Start becoming aware of these behaviors in your life.
Repeat to yourself in the mirror every morning 23897489 times “I will not uphold my own importance”.
Do whatever you need to do to minimize these behaviors. Throughout the day, remind yourself of this.
I guarantee, this one thing will have HUGE ramifications on your relationships. You will notice your relationships improving, and yourself feeling less stressed out about maintaining a certain image in front of people.
Whenever you catch yourself upholding your own importance, recognize how silly it is that you are doing it.
After all, if you accept yourself, there should be no reason to try and make yourself seem more important to others. You are fine! There is no need to prove it to anyone else.
Once you recognize the silliness of upholding your own importance, just smile, and think of something to be grateful about instead.
I seriously can’t emphasize the importance of this enough.
Perhaps you will never perfect this. I know that despite massive improvement since I’ve started paying attention to this, I will still do things to uphold my own importance in the eyes of others.
But even so, the progress has had immeasurable results in my life, and yours should be no different.
Continue on to Day 25: The Magic of “Shave Parties”.
[…] it almost seems necessary to many people. This is incredibly unfortunate, because arguing a lot is one of the worst things a person can do. I have found this to be a particularly challenging aspect of personal development for myself, […]